In the automobile manufacturing supply chain, automotive in-vehicle cables are a type of materials that are extremely used and closely related to safety, especially new energy vehicles. When choosing cable materials, automotive cable manufacturers will encounter situations where cable material manufacturers ask if they need "thin-walled wire", "thick-walled wire", "large wire", "small wire", etc.
Then why do cable materials factories have to ask these specifications clearly when purchasing cable materials in automobiles in cable factories? What impact will their differences have on the quality and cost of the vehicle? This article will provide you with answers based on actual standards and application scenarios.
Standard source: ISO 6722-1. This standard specifies the insulation thickness, outer diameter and temperature levels of different types of cables, where "Standard wall" means thick wall and "Thin wall" means thin wall.
The application fields of two cables with different wall thicknesses are different, so cable material factories need to ask clearly to recommend the most suitable target materials for the production of target automotive cables. Generally speaking, in the category of automotive interior wires, thin walls belong to low-voltage cables, and thick walls belong to medium-high-voltage cables.
For example: At 1.0 mm² conductor cross-sectional area, the data of ISO 6722 are as follows:
Thick-walled cable: the minimum thickness of the insulation layer is about 0.48 mm, and the outer diameter of the finished product can reach 2.7 mm;
Thin-walled cable: the minimum thickness of the insulation layer is about 0.24 mm, and the outer diameter of the finished product is about 2.1 mm.
Thin-walled cable: commonly used in the main wiring harness and instrument wiring harness of modern cars.
Thick-walled cable: commonly used in automotive high-voltage connection cables.
Therefore, when purchasing automobile cables, the cable factory should confirm with the technical department whether thin-walled cables or thick-walled cables are needed, and give the insulation thickness, outer diameter and conductor cross-section of the target cable. This not only affects the cost of materials, but also directly affects the spatial layout and durability of the wiring harness design.
Conductor cross-section (mm²) | Minimum insulation thickness of thick walls (mm) | Minimum insulation thickness of thin walls (mm) | High limit of thick wall outer diameter (mm) | Thin wall outer diameter upper limit (mm) |
| 0.5 | 0.48 | 0.24 | 2.2 | 1.7 |
| 0.75 | 0.48 | 0.24 | 2.5 | 1.9 |
| 1.0 | 0.48 | 0.24 | 2.7 | 2.1 |
| 1.5 | 0.48 | 0.24 | 3.0 | 2.4 |
| 2.5 | 0.56 | 0.28 | 3.6 | 3.0 |
Low voltage cable (traditional 12V/24V system): thin-walled cables, thick-walled cables specified in ISO 6722. Used for lighting, instrumentation, electrical control units, etc.
High-voltage cable (new energy 600V/1000V system): generally an orange exterior sheath, which is resistant to high temperature and electromagnetic interference. Used for connecting cables between power batteries, inverters, and motors.
Signal and shielded cables: CAN bus, LIN bus, Ethernet cable. Emphasizes anti-interference and transmission stability.
Low voltage thin-walled cable: suitable for use of irradiated crosslinked polyolefins（XLPO） or silane crosslinked polyolefins at 125°C-150°C. Flame retardant polypropylene materials, etc.
Automotive high-voltage cable: suitable for use of irradiated crosslinked polyolefins at 125℃-150℃, and vapor phase silicone rubber materials at 180℃-200℃.
Automotive Ethernet cable: suitable for using TPE thermoplastic elastomer cable material from 105℃-125℃.
In the automotive industry chain, purchasing cable materials for cable factories is not a simple cost choice, but a systematic task involving safety, space, performance and compliance.
Distinguishing between thin walls and thick walls, large lines and small lines means that when selecting models, the purchasing personnel can use the right materials and place them in the right place. This can not only improve the reliability and safety of the entire vehicle, but also help companies reduce costs and increase efficiency in the fierce competition.
